Apple has moved to crack down on the resale of iPhones by restricting iPhone sales to two per customer, and limiting purchases to card only.
Apple has claimed that the move is related to supply, with an Apple spokesman quoted by AP saying that the move was to “ensure that there are enough iPhones for people who are shopping for themselves or buying a gift.”
The suggestion that there may be supply problems with the iPhone coming up to the peak holiday shopping season may spook the market, however the move is more likely related to the rampant practice of unlocking and exporting the iPhone to countries outside of the United States where the phone is not currently available. A quick search of non-US eBay sites show hundreds of unlocked iPhone’s being available in a thriving after market.
Apple has sold 1.4 million iPhones to date.
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I am baffled by the genius marketers at Apple. Why are they restricting the sale of iPhone in order to stop buyers from re-selling them? This does not seem smart at all. Instead what I expect them to do is to increase the production since it is obvious that this product is a winner. Hello, Steve Jobs, are you still there?
Yeah, and committed resellers would just have to get them 2 at a time. If the card is tracked, use prepaid cards. Anyone that wants them will get them.
All it’ll really do is annoy the bajeezus out of the wealthy Apple fans that might decide to simplify their Christmas shopping and buy a bunch. Like I think I remember Rush Limbaugh bought like 40 for employees and friends. Those kinds of people are early adopters, non-complainers, and evangelists. My half-brother is the same way. Very wealthy, hates shopping, loves Christmas, loves Apple, and his son works at an Apple Store. He might pull the same kind of thing.
Anyway, maybe they had to to keep AT&T from getting too pissed, who knows. Still, 5 or 10 seems more likely to not piss off real customers, especially when people might really buy multiple, at Christmas.
Its a good thing that I decided to increase the money supply this month, because now all those iphone hippies will need to buy them with cash!
since when could mfgs decide how the customer pays? Perhaps you are referring to Apple Stores.
They’re going for a little Wii thunder.
I am getting in today (exported by someone yesterday), and I live in the Netherlands
Can’t wait….
Its a good thing that I decided to increase the money supply this month, because now all those iphone hippies will need to buy them with cash!
It’s against the Federal Law to refuse to accept U.S. dollars for purchases. The feds should come down on apple hard. They certainly have done so on other businesses in the past.
O’er the land of the free… really starts to feel like a communist country.
Yannick Desjardins, that was quite an amusing comment. First sign of a company acting stupid? COMMUNISM!
Apple is killing iPhone with all that stupid restrictions.
I see it as Apple wanting its customers to get it thru the proper channels overseas (thru its stores or preferred cellular carriers) rather than trying to restrict sales… after the first week in November, this will all be old news when overseas customers can get one legitimately like the rest of America can.
From what I understand, it is illegal to refuse cash in the USA. Technically, cash is the ONLY truly “legal” tender…everything else can be refused, but NOT cash, as this would be a federal violation.
Well, obviously Apple wants the money for their product. Selling unlocked iphones where it isn’t available screws Apple over. Of course I personally couldn’t care about Apple but I can understand why they want to do it.
Apple is a control-freak company…it loves contrl techniues like:
1) DRM on ITunes
2) Not letting developers on IPhone ( now they do a bit)…
3) The IPhone does not support Java ( un-believable)
4) The MAC OS was propreiary for a long-long time
The only reason that apple is surviving is they are very..very…very good in design and they have cult-following in a a full generation of apple users…..but sooner or later ..it has to stop these propreitary attitude.
http://www.meetingflex.com
Social Networking + Video
“Legal Tender…” Superceded by Apple?
Apple against the free Market!
They get worse everyday!
This is why you people should boycott themm and go all Microsoft only!
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com
The hacker sales must be cutting into any back end deal apple has with att. Its the only reason why apple would concered about how the phones are used.
Maybe, like Gillette, Apple is selling the “razor” (IPhone) once and the blades frorever (cell time). It’s the only reason why apple would be concerned if hackers take the phones off the att network.
I wonder if att is restricting sales at their stores? IE: I dont have a credit card or credit and I want to get an iphone and use the pay as you go plan?
this supports my claim
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/.....31-iphone/
I don’t think they can legally refuse cash; this would restrict access to people with temporary credit problems, freezes due to id theft, etc. legal tender issues.
and why not, apple has a great “abusive spouse” relationship with their users. they pound the shit out of them on a regular basis and then find some way to blame the victim
someone intervene with a copy of ubuntu
The other competitors will gain the advantage of supply problem.
If people like your product and if you can’t supply to their demand thats really bad,selling 1.4 million iphones is the sign how people love apple.Why are they framing rules for those who buy instead of producing to the demands ..??
Another reason I like this move is because of the experience I had in an Apple store. I was trying to purchase a product and had to wait in line for over 30 minutes because EVERYONE in front and behind me was buying the maximum and paying with crisp $20 bills.
Everyone who thinks this is illegal, you are mistaken:
http://www.treas.gov/education.....nder.shtml
@25
Good research there. Do you have a link to a list of States where the selective currency practice is not permitted?
The Fed link you gave says that States may prohibit this activity on their own. How many have done so, and where do we find out in which States Apple is breaking the law?
HTC Touch Cruise is better than the iPhone
- 3G
- GPS
- MS Exchange syncing
- 3rd party apps
- unlocked version available
http://www.techielife.com/cell.....007/11/12/